Hairspray is the toe-tappiest, finger snappiest, butt wiggilyist experience the studios have offered up in years.

Indomitably spirited fat girl Tracy Turnblad (Nikki Blonsky) wants nothing more than to be a dancer on the local Corney Collins Show. When she learns of open auditions, she ignores the nay-sayers and throws her hat in the ring. Even a downright smack-down couldn't kill her spirits and after some persistence and "Negro Day" influence, Nikki finds her place on the show. Little does she know that the station manager Velma Von Tussle (Michelle Pfeiffer) is an era appropriate racist and painful narcissist. The station manager's daughter Amber (Brittany Snow) is a younger version of her mother in every way. Tracy's progressive view on "afro-tastic" dancing, integration and image pits her against the station manager and her daughter.

It is extremely difficult to make me laugh out loud during a movie. I'm a tough nut to crack. On top of my general lack of a funny bone, I was having a terrible day when I went to see Hairspray. Within five minutes, I was disarmed and suffering from a wicked case of Hairspray Stockholm Syndrome. I gave up any attempts at playing cool, abandoned my pride and succumbed to the unrelenting laughter Hairspray demanded of me. The humor couldn't be undone after Wilbur (Christopher Walken), Tracy's father, says, "If we can't put a smile on your face, your skin is too tight." Even those trained to resist the pains of torture would break down and chuckle during Hairspray.

Nikki Blonsky is a star who must've been locked in the darkest box, in the most remote cellar, on the highest shelf until now. She is radiant, charming, uplifting and adorable. Even if you aren't fat, I'm sure you'll be able to find something about her character that makes you feel like she is talking to you or about you. The reliability is part good-writing and part actress-who-knows-how-to-be-sweet-with-sincerity. In order to pull off a teenager unwilling to be put down because she is heavy, she had to be fearless about her own weight. Any insecurity would have killed the character. Nikki Blonsky is shame and fear-free as she dances and sings her heart out. She steals the spotlight from the more experienced actors every time she graces the screen.